In The Spur Of The Moment.

Dear supporters, THFC is our club. We are Spurs. Whoever's running it, managing, coaching or playing for us, we are the true hard core of it's existence.

Come rain or shine, win loose or draw, it's us, the faithful, that keep the Lilywhite flag flying and the White Hart Lane Cockerel, a-cock-a-doodle-dooing. (Are we all mad?). On a daily basis Vital Spurs members discuss, argue and provoke each other with opinions, statements and questions that highlight our fears and failings, our likes and dislikes. We can't help but to show off our pride, prejudice and passion for this great club. (Why are we so opinionated?).

So fellow Spuds, with these thoughts in mind and without the distraction of playing in the FA Cup this weekend, I propose an open ended discussion on anything and everything Spurs related. Whatever takes your fancy. I'll kick-off with this simple question: Do we have the potential to challenge for the PL title next season? Don't laugh..

Agree though, top 3 is within our grasp next year. If we had a few better showings when avb was in charge that's where we would be sitting now. Looking back now, avb's historic second win at old Trafford doesn't look that impressive anymore. I honestly believe if Timmy boy had been the manager from the start, with the way he has ade playing, we would have truly contended this year.

MAN ON ... This will make an interesting thread. Well done! I think we can be as optimistic for next season as we have been for the last 3 or 4 seasons. That is a good thing because we really have had, and still do have, good reason to be optimistic for our club's future. Not too many clubs have supporters that can say that! COYS!

Next year out new stadium will be almost finished, and then we will have 56,000 + cheering on our players.. As coopsie said recently 2017 (2016 / 2917 season) is the year of the rooster.. we will win something that year..

When you see post on other clubs Vital sites there are no where near the responses we have, the most you ever see is 4 of 5 and normally one of us have posted? Any ideas why or are we eternal optimists also the best supporters?

I think we will have the potential, if we can keep the squad together and improve on it, but I don't think we will win it. Maybe in a season or two we WILL be challenging for it as we will be able to attract and keep better players due to our CL status

What would be good, is Levy making a mission statement at end of the season, say exactly the way Joe Lewis & Daniel Levy are taking spurs, and their commitment to this strategy. Then we can all be in unison, and follow the club knowing the owners are doing what they believe is best for the club, and ultimately their financial investment thereof.

Of course we'll win the League if not the CL as well !!! We have a great squad and with the right buys and the right combination we will surely win it - I thought we were gonna do it this year when I was convinced that GB was going to stay…. COYMS!!!!

Go for glory... GO TIMAAHHHHHH!!!!
Top four this year please and in the hunt for the title next. If Arsenal and Liverpool and in the hunt this year WE can def be in the hunt next...
Townsend back and we're world beaters

Yup Chrishove I thought all was leading up to GB giving us one more year ! We should've signed David Villa…. ah well past is past…the present squad is ace just look how well they've done despite all the crap around them !

I thought the investment of 100 m plus would have been enough to let the supporters know that ENIC care about results and success as well. Levy has put his money where his mouth is this season, backed a young manager and given him plenty of cash. It's a shame he spent only half of it wisely and then got sacked. Long live the king

For the last 5/6 seasons we have been in the mix at some stage during the season. Usually falling away at the end. I don't think the next one will be much different but I hope it can just last for the whole season for a change. COYS

Since it is an open ended article (well done Man On for submitting it), I want to bring an issue from last (Newcastle) match...

On match days I usually read ALL the posts (pre, mid and post match) but due to other commitments, didn't get round to. During our previous matches, MOST wanted to see Dawson and Bentelab dropped. Then lo-be-hold, Dawson is sacrificed for Kaboul and Capoue for Eriksen. At the time, I said to my partner, the forum will be buzzing with excitement with these changes. The team to me looked VERY good and the result proved it.

After the match I read ALL the posts on the match day article and was disappointed to note some posters bewildered by the changes and expressed 'serious concerns'. In my opinion (pre-match mode), I was delighted that TS had considered those changes and my gawd, did it pay off handsomely!

Despite me being a bit skeptical of TS's appointment, he is winning me over and I am proud enough to be nibbling at my slice of humble pie. Why can't some other posters do the same. Premature criticism (pre-match) to euphoria (post match) imo, should accompany honesty in admitting poor pre-judgement.

Look, the real point I am trying to make with this is that popular forums such as Vital generally express the feelings/moods of fans and when the media 'quote' the fans, they are relying on what the concensus on the forums and in general is.

TS has done commendably well thus far, albeit, not so in the cups, but IMO, he deserves the support based on what he has achieved during his relatively short tenure. Use the forum to speak out loud the GOOD things (not just the bad) so that the message indirectly gets relayed to the Players, Coaches and the management. COYS and hope EL is taken very seriously.

Our usual home form would have ensures a league challenge this season, is my answer to the opening question. The fact we're quite close to the top (and have been for a few years) without handouts also shows how well were run. It's also no secret that we outspend most of the Premier clubs so to be any lower than where we are would be seen as under-achieving. For one or two extra things going our way, we can certainly keep even closer to the big boys. 3 games from the top! The most unlikely spin-off to the question is Tim winning the league with Spurs in his first full year. 3 improbables becoming a probable. And yet I can't yet rule out that he won't be worth keeping. I'm impressed with his ability to get a response from the players, and the knack of getting results when not even playing well. He seems to have great player-insight. A few mentioning that him having played has helped when advising them . Big, big lines to read between. The glaringly obvious aim at AVB almost overshadowing the TS feature. Can we win the league next year? If TS learned all KD taught him, surely it's possible?

It was a baffling line-up when it came out, Critical. I didn't have a clue how they would line up at first - I guess assumed Dembele left Lennon right - even got that wrong. lol. Good game but they could've scored5 tbh, so we're still only going at the painful pace of one game at a time with regards to finding out whether it's gonna work or not. I like the guy and his handicap (lack of experience) is counter-balanced by his leadership qualities. To captain Blackburns bank-rolled signings, to a title, has cred.

jerkinmahjurgen, As long as TS keeps making the necessary changes and they bear rewards, he will continue to gain support. In that game I would've liked to have seen Soldado come on a little earlier. really need him to start scoring to avoid being reliant on Ade all the time. I'd like him to also address the HOME support issue. A performance like the one against Newcastle would go a long way in remedying that. COYS! BTW, does anyone think that Friedel will get the nod ahead of Lloris in the EL....include Dawson in that mix too?

Jerk, i thought the line up was a big surprise when i saw it against newcastle, but all managers make decisions which baffle fans. I wonder how newcastle fans felt with such a weakened side out and Pardew decided to put their biggest game changer on the bench in Ben Arfa. They were awful and for parts of the game we were good, net result 0-4. Norwich away will be very tough after Ukraine in the spoon and Norwich have played well in their last two games and are desperate, a win up there and we are truly in the mix, but as big C FANNY says March is where it will be pretty much decided for us top4. I just wonder if Arsenal could implode....ish...shame they drew Bayern and might well only have two CL games left.

We need the top4 to draw their cup games this weekend. Pile the fixtures up. So many top clashes coming up - especially for the ars. They could well struggle. Newcastle have been criticized for their performance but if clinical could've powered into a two nil lead. But our players... if they're not quick they're powerful - they've all got something and when we press high and hard and show application, we can stop teams. Pardew wasn't happy so they clearly didn't fight as well as he thinks they can, but I still more saw them getting stopped by us. Depleted. The momentum has started. Winning at Norwich would be a good sign that TS can keep that going. coys cots 821

I was a bit puzzled to see Eriksen instead of Bentaleb out for Capoue…. bur=t learned a long time ago I'm one of 50,000 managers who don't count! I think a great home win would do the trick but there are a few other things that's causing disaffection… the lack of info re the stadium, stub hub the yiddo issue and possibly the promise of GB not being sold… I think we've the strongest squad for many years but the whole thing hinges on how we build on it… was impressed with Chadl's espouse to being loaned out to Swansea…
Watching the citeh game on itv - how awful is the commentary?!!!
Finally COYMS!!!

Critical - the way I think of it, you used the wrong word in "dropped". A lot of us wanted Bentaleb and Dawson rotated or rested. There's been times when I would have dropped Dawson but for the Newcastle game it was definitely a case of rotating and giving Kaboul a chance. Dawson has been very wobbly at times but had put together back to back performances before that game. As for Bentaleb it was definitely a case of rotation to ensure that we keep Capoue involved and match fit. As it happens it was Eriksen who was rested and I'm fine with that. I think we all need to appreciate we have a very talented squad and rotation of any player should be expected to keep things fresh and set the team up for the opposition we're playing. We should forget that word "dropped" unless someone has had a howler like Soldado has recently. Then it's fair.

This is interesting "“Following a statement on the official website of the FAF , Nabil Bentaleb will be part of the list of players selected to play in the face Slovenia on March 5. The president of the FAF Raouraoua today met Tottenham and handed regulatory commitment that demonstrates its commitment to play for the colors of Algeria country of his parents. Nabil will be summoned to the next training camp of the national team on March 1 for the friendly match against Slovenia. It will even organized a press conference in Algiers as it was done for Faouzi Ghoulam when he joined the greens." Looks like we'll be able to watch Bentaleb in the world cup.

Happy that Bentaleb has chosen the country of his parents. It would have been better for him financially to have chosen France (or even England), so to turn that down is a good sign the boy's head's on straight (he'd look silly otherwise)

i agree what you say about the lad himself inspurs...but i really care about spurs and the african nations cup sucks, until they bring it inline with the rest of the footballing world it will be a huge pain in the butt

tophobunty1882, when he goes off to the African cup, it just means that there is an opportunity for someone else to cement their place in the starting eleven. We've got a big squad so we should be able to cope.

At present we are 1 point behind our points to date last year and 1 point ahead of similar games played (same/similar team, location) last year. As others have said, our final position will depend on how we finish the last 12 games. We would need to take at least 4 from Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool but 6 would be a sure entry into CL. I feel that we can win all the other games and should.

With Kaboul seemingly back and having played very well against Newcastle, I feel our defense will be very solid and our midfield can be flexible depending on whom we play against. What we need is for Soldado to begin producing.

Great analysis jvd very insightful … how close are we ? imagine where we would be if no problems at the club…. I'm with topho with the signing of any players who go missing mid season - look at Adebayor when he went off… mind you it depends on the talented - we've just signed a talented player from Nigeria. We just need to have a great squad as we have now !

You've only got to lose one or two key players and it will show. You get enough surprises without adding this to the equation, so I agree it's a risk to do this and there are usually options to recruit without this hurdle, so take them if you can. This very reason may see the acn fall in-line with Europe, because they rightly don't want to miss out on good wonga. And wonga talks. In our current scenario we'd be without Ade, and we all know what that's been like. If it were Paulinho, we've other midfielders around a similar level to cover - that may not be so bad, and is important criteria to consider when deciding whether to sign an African. I mean you can't turn your nose up at top, top players? I'd certainly make a worthwhile allowance to the general rule.

Personally, judging by our present position and the crazy season so far, I think we could well be in contention for the title next season. We've not really got going yet in this one and, as I keep trying to convince myself, surely we have a lot more room for improvement. I also see top 4 as a realistic goal this year and if we can continue with some consistency in our performances it might turn out to be a season we can be happy with. Up the Spurs!

Haha! Man On. And I agree. Would LOVE to be having a fixture crisis over these endless days without a match. I know we're a long shot but is 3 games away from top with 12 to play not challenging? Enjoy the noise of the fat lady whilst you can. She don't sing forever.

Forgetting the teams at the top there is only 4 points separating Sunderland at 18th and Swansea in 10th position. So almost any team we play now is either fighting for survival or top 5. So there'll be some more shock results to come this season and it'll be a difficult one to call at both ends of the table. It should be one hell of a run-in.

jerkinmahjurgen, I had a tiny wager at the start of the season that we would be champions. Hey, anything's possible. Not likely, but not impossible. It still could be a season to remember. But gambling only pays when your winning..... I never win!

Our record speaks for itself under Tim - right up there with the top bunch. If he can keep them going... We may have just found the clucking futch. He's got something about him, ole Timmy. Did you see him in that interview where he done that strange neck movement, turning to the side as he did so, then 'snapped' out f it, like he's just regained consciousnesses, then carried on like it was the tv playing up? Reminded me of Quantum Leap. He's gotta win the league to progress... Or maybe he's a shape-shifter?

Man on, I think you've just found a way of winning the league. You never win a bet do you? Please put a sizeable bet on Spurs not winning the league this year. While you're at it, bet that we won't win the Europa as well.